Child taken from Shrewsbury woman after drunk-driving arrest

The 2-year-old daughter of a Cottage Avenue woman was taken into state custody early yesterday morning after her mother was charged with her second offense of drunk driving.

Gabrielle Moreau, 22, 8 Cottage Ave., was arraigned in Westboro District Court yesterday. She is charged with drunken driving (second offense), child endangerment while driving drunk, a marked lanes violation and negligent driving. Her case was continued to Jan. 3. According to court documents, Ms. Moreauís prior OUI charge was continued without a finding in Worcester District Court on May 7, 2009.

A state police trooper reported first encountering Ms. Moreau shortly before midnight after responding to a call about a motor vehicle with no lights on being off the roadway on Interstate 290. When the trooper arrived, he found the vehicle up an embankment prior to Exit 25A.

The trooper said a strong odor of liquor was coming from Ms. Moreauís breath. A glass Bud Light bottle was in plain view at the foot of the toddlerís car seat. Ms. Moreau refused a breath test, according to police.

She was treated and released from UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. The state Department of Children and Families was called to take the child into custody.